How Kathy Hochul put affordable education ahead of politics

Earlier this month, the federal government reported that inflation rose 3.8 percent over the past year, the highest rate since May 2023. For most families, that number is not a news story. It is a national reality reflected in grocery bills, utility costs, housing payments and the growing pressure of trying to keep up in an economy where everyday expenses continue to rise faster than many families can absorb.

Against that backdrop, Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-N.Y.) made one of the most consequential education decisions New York has seen in years. She announced New York’s intention to opt into the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit.

It was a politically courageous move, and it was the right one. Hochul recognized what the data make clear: For families across New York, the cost of helping a child succeed has risen faster than most household budgets can absorb. This program is a practical response to that pressure. Not a culture war, not a political statement — a tool.

While often portrayed narrowly as private school tuition assistance, the program can help every kind of student. Students in public and charter schools — students with no tuition costs at all — can still use scholarships for books, tutoring, special needs services, after-school programs, computers, internet access and transportation.

The program reaches families earning up to 300 percent of the local median........

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